AI's blistering pace is driving 'off-the-charts' anxiety among tech workers, according to Deedy Das, a partner at Menlo Ventures.
Das said the concerns he keeps hearing are piling up fast: whether software engineering and product management remain viable long-term careers, whether people should join or launch startups for better prospects, and whether the equity in those startups will ever be worth much.
'What does my career and skill mean in the age of AI?' Das wrote in an X post on Wednesday. 'Is software engineering a 30yr long career any more? Is product management?'
He also pointed to a wider set of worries. In addition to work, Das said people are thinking about finances, romantic partners, immigration policy, Bay Area homeownership, children, and even purpose.
'Okay I joined a startup. Is my company's equity worth anything or will this be another Airtable or Miro?' Das wrote, referring to two startups that were once valued at more than $10 billion before agreeing this year to be acquired by Bending Spoons at enterprise values of about $1.29 billion and $1.36 billion, respectively.
Das said the anxiety is not unique to tech or the Bay Area, but he said it appears especially concentrated there compared with New York City. He added, 'For the rest, just know that it's not just you who feels this way. It's a lot of people!'
For founders, the playbook is simple: when AI changes the rules this quickly, talent starts pricing in risk much faster than before. That can make hiring, retention, and startup recruiting harder even when the market still looks strong on paper.
The same pressure also changes how workers think about upside. If equity, skills, and career paths all feel less certain, the market is telling you that optionality is becoming more valuable than ever. Founders who get this right move faster — because they can explain not just the product, but the future it still offers.
